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Sonic Forces is a disappointing step back for the franchise. Uninteresting level design and subpar gameplay on all three playable characters make for a game that can be frustrating to get through. The nonsense story is poorly written and makes more tonal shifts than Mariah Carey with an ice cube down her back. The game is perfectly fine for the younger audience it's targeting, and we're sure they'll enjoy it for what it is, but in the wake of Sonic Mania's tremendous success, the problems 3D Sonic has always faced are becoming much harder to ignore.
Below the Bedrock is a rock solid penultimate episode for what's been a very under-par Season Two so far for Telltale's Minecraft Story Mode. With a well-balanced structure and a steadily paced plot progression that is intriguing throughout, Episode 4 has pulled off what the first three episodes failed to do: setting up firm foundations for future episodes. It's a real shame that Below the Bedrock didn't come earlier on in the season.
Your fate is decided by a scattering of cards across a table; dice rolls mean death or fortune and your next step could warp you to an insurmountable brawl. Hand Of Fate's mix of strategic planning, random chance, and meaty combat is both rewarding and addictive. Fighting lacks complexity and doesn't quite stand up to the eventual repetition, but this game within a game is still well worth your time overall.
League of War: VR Arena does exactly what it says on the tin. It provides you with a basic strategy experience that remains fun for a few hours, but as you realise that the game won't be introducing any sort of innovation or new mechanics to mess around with, repetition sets in fast.
Featuring improved graphics and more polished gameplay, .hack//G.U. Last Recode offers a fascinating look back at a classic JRPG series. While repetition can sometimes bog things down, the story and characters will keep you coming back to The World, determined to see Haseo's journey through to the end.
Spintires: Mudrunner is a hard-crusted simulation title that makes you earn your fun through hard work and determination. It's certainly not for everyone with a crawling pace and a muted aesthetic, but the impressive physics and sandbox design make for some great moments, especially if you're playing with others. The UI and vehicle handling will have you wrestling for control at times, but if you persevere, this is a game with surprisingly rewarding gameplay and plenty to get stuck into.
Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut is an enjoyably addictive sliding puzzle game that although it can get repetitive has enough variety within its puzzles to keep you returning for more. Its cartoony visuals help to make for some humorous, murder cut-scenes that will either make you chuckle or grimace. If you're a huge Hallowe'en hooligan or a profoundly psychotic puzzler, Slayaway Camp is well worth checking out.
Without a doubt the best Assassin's Creed game since Black Flag – and right up there with the best entries in the entire series – Assassin's Creed Origins is a top notch open world title. Egypt itself is the star of the show, Ubisoft having meticulously crafted a stunningly detailed and varied landscape, but outside of the setting, a parade of gameplay and design improvements make this the roaring return to form that the franchise desperately needed.
Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back is a wholly unremarkable experience. The presentation, controls, and level design are all lacking, and the handful of stages offer little variety. It's not the worst platformer ever – it's not even the worst Bubsy game – it's simply inconsequential, forgettable, and bland in every aspect. Fans of the original games may get a kick out of this, but even they may feel disappointed by the bobcat's latest, and probably last, adventure.
Whether it's that unmistakable Euro-jank charm or its commitment to providing a surprisingly robust role-playing experience, ELEX definitely has something going for it – it's just that most players will likely never make it far enough to find out what that something is. Piranha Byte's latest has ambition, but barely any of it is realised. As far as B-tier games go, this criticism is nothing new, but when so many amazing action RPGs are already available on PS4, you can't be blamed for ignoring this seriously shoddy release.
Oure is a masterclass in how not to follow up on the success of Abzu and Journey. A seemingly interesting set-up quickly disappears, repetitive and frustrating gameplay dampens the experience further, and the abysmal controls make every second spent playing a depressing chore.
PixelJunk VR Dead Hungry offers a fun combination of zombie curing and food management to create an enjoyable VR experience. Unfortunately, the lack of gameplay variety means that the repetitious nature of the game sets in a little too quickly resulting in anything past the few hours feeling like too much of a slog.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a quintessential single player shooter, and contains one of the best campaigns in recent memory. Rammed full of memorable moments and brilliant characters, it takes you on a horrifying yet fascinating ride through a Nazi dominated world that – as a result of real world events – feels a touch less like fantasy this time around. While the story is undoubtedly the star of the show, the viscera drenched combat, satisfying weapons, and rewarding perk system more than hold up their side of the bargain. The single player game is dead, long live the single player game.
Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon is quite a streamlined Japanese RPG. The time limit system will keep you constantly moving forward, and while it is a bit shorter than your typical JRPG, it rarely feels repetitive thanks to a quick and satisfying battle system. A beautiful and engaging cast of characters are the icing on the cake.
Though Eko Software has tried to give virtual rugby a breath of life – and in some ways, with a revamped control and camera system, it has – the lack of modes and dismal presentation leave a bad taste in the mouth. At full-price, Bigben is demanding an obscene amount of money for a game that feels years behind where it should be.
Up there with the likes of Journey and ABZU, AER: Memories of Old is simple, elegant, and impactful. It's a heartfelt game that's a joy to play, and although its storytelling does feel like it gets in the way at times, your worries will evaporate when you're soaring effortlessly from one floating island to the next.
No Heroes Allowed! VR is a deeply satisfying and surprisingly humorous PlayStation VR strategy game. It doesn't do much with virtual reality, but it looks great inside the headset and has some unique gameplay ideas to boot. Sure, its high price means that it's never going to get to the top of the food chain, but this likeable title is still worth feasting on – assuming, of course, you can afford it.
Megaton Rainfall is an incredible accomplishment, but not one that we particularly liked to play. The sense of scale is outstanding – and it's even more impressive with PlayStation VR – but the cumbersome combat grates almost as badly as its cringe-inducing storyline. It would appear that even being a literal god isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Some presentation niggles aside, Brawlhalla is an entertaining fighter with fun, punchy combat that just about manages to capture that “one more match” feeling. While it isn't quite as tightly designed as the seminal Super Smash Bros., the large roster, wide range of modes, and a reasonable level of depth help it achieve a similar balance of accessibility and challenge - you can play as casually or as competitively as you like. With pay-to-win nowhere to be seen and exceedingly good online play, this is one free-to-play title that's well worth a try.
The only area in which South Park: The Fractured But Whole can't compete with The Stick of Truth is surprise. There's nothing here that will rival the childish glee we felt seeing 8-Bit Canada for the first time. But it's still riotously funny from start to finish, and on top of that there are some genuinely poignant moments in the game that we weren't expecting. With a much improved battle system and a larger, more well-rounded cast of characters, The Fractured But Whole is practically everything you could want from a Stick of Truth sequel. And there's a bunch of fart jokes, too.